Technical Abstract:
The USDA ARS Microbial Safety of Aquaculture Products Center of Excellence located on the campus of Delaware State University is conducting research geared toward; 1) improving detection methods for virus contamination of shellfish; 2) understanding how and why viruses persist within shellfish; and 3) identifying non-thermal methods to eradicate or inactivate viruses from raw shellfish. Recent research findings include demonstration that hepatitis A virus (HAV) and murine norovirus (MNV) can readily persist within oyster hemocytes (blood cells), and demonstration that these hemocytes can be used as a basis for an expedient virus detection method. High pressure processing (HPP) has been identified as a potential method for inactivating food-borne viruses within raw shellfish. Research has demonstrated that HPP can inactivate HAV, MNV, and most recently human norovirus, directly within shellfish.